Chapter 4

Tales of the Heir

Thankfully, Aunt Becky still let me stay to get my book signed. Unfortunately, Lockhart had somewhere else to be so I did not get to ask him any questions. At least, I will be seeing quite at lot of him at Hogwarts this year.

Just as we were about to go into the store with the fireplace we used, I heard someone call out, "Melanie!"

I turned to see Lenora waving.

Giving Aunt Becky my puppy dogface, I pleaded, "Can I go talk to her for a few minutes? Please, I have not had a chance to see her all day."

The instant she nodded, I ran over to greet my friend, giving her a hug.

Lenora looked passed me giving my aunt a brief glance. "Are you leaving already?"

I sighed. "Yeah, my aunt got kind of upset after that fight with Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley so we have to leave now.

She gawked at me in bewilderment. "No way! They actually got in a fight? Was it a wand dual or a muggle fist fight?"

"Fist fight," I muttered in response.

She laughed, clapping her hands together. "That's awesome! I cannot believe I missed that. Too bad my dad was not there. He would have kicked both their arses."

I looked past her, just realizing she stood alone. "Where is your dad?"

Lenora shrugged and replied casually, "Oh, he's at home."

Now it became my turn to gape at her in bafflement. "He let you come by yourself?"

"Sure," she replied as though it were no big deal. "All I need is some coins and a hand full of floo powder and I am good to go. There is no reason for him to tag along."

"Lucky," I muttered ever though I knew I would feel just a bit uncomfortable coming here alone.

"So did you get your book signed by Lockhart?" she asked eagerly.

I nodded holding the signed book up for her to see. "I wish we could have gone together. Draco was not exactly the best company. He just does not seem to understand all that Lockhart has done."

Lenora let out an understanding sigh as she brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Yeah, I met up with Blaise earlier today and he acted the same way. I think most of the boys are just jealous."

"Definitely," I agreed, my eyes moving past her. "Hey, Lenora. Isn't that your dad over there by Knockturn Alley?"

She turned her head to see her father standing in the shadows just by corner leading to the dark alley, talking with Mr. Malfoy. "Yeah, it is. That's weird. He did not say anything about stopping by here." Lenora then looked back at me and shrugged, starting to head in his direction. "I'm going to go check it out."

I nodded and began to follow. "I'll go with you."

"Uh, Melanie. You are not going near that alley."

Until that last stern order, I had completely forgotten that Aunt Becky stood close by.

I let out a huff and said to Lenora, "I guess I will see you at the train station."

She raised her eyebrow and grinned. "You are not going to sit with Pansy again, are you?"

I shook my head, letting out a deep breath. "I don't think I can go through that again."

We both hugged before she ran off to meet up with her father. As I watched her go in his direction I noticed both Mr. Lane and Mr. Malfoy glance at me while talking in hushed tones. It almost seemed as though the subject they were in such deep discussion of was I.

"Melanie, are you ready to go?" Aunt Becky asked, snapping me out of my daze.

I nodded and followed her to the shop with the fireplace we used. As I briefly glanced back, I decided that I was probably just imagining the two men talking about me, or at least that is what I told myself.

xXx

I was grateful Aunt Becky and Uncle Richard took me to the Hogwarts express this year. I remember before, my mother took me. Now that people know me better, I would not have known how to explain her since everyone thinks my parents are deceased, not to mention pureblood. To be honest, the thought of keeping this lie in effect for another whole year overwhelmed my mind, yet I still plan to keep the deceit going for my remainder years in Hogwarts.

We went to Platform 9 ¾ through the brick walls between 9 and 10 just as last year. I remember how strange this all once felt. Now, it just seemed like second nature.

Once the three of us stood in front of the bus, Aunt Becky turned around to face me and said, "Now, Melanie, I do not want to get any letters this year from Hogwarts about you getting into trouble. Do you understand?"

I held back a groan and nodded. Her face softened formed a smile as she embraced me. I honestly do not see what the big deal is. The school has way too many rules, most in which take the fun out of everything. Also, Lenora's dad probably got several similar discipline letters as well, yet she of course did not get in any trouble. From what she said, I doubt he even bothered to read them.

As Aunt Becky released me, she said, "Well, I hope you have a good second year at Hogwarts. We will both miss you."

I looked up at both my aunt and uncle with hopeful eyes. "Can I spend next summer with you?"

They both exchanged glances. Uncle Richard shrugged saying he did not have a problem with it, but Aunt Becky replied, "I will talk with your mother this year. Perhaps you can spend a month with each of us."

I let out a huff realizing that is probably the best I can do. As I boarded the train, I turned and waved one last time to my aunt and uncle before going inside to find a place to sit.

"Hi, Melanie."

I turned around to see Pansy, standing outside a one of the compartments Daphne and Millicent were already in. Even though she smiled at me, she still wore the same smug expression as always.

"Um, hi," I replied, looking at her skeptically.

"Do you want to sit with us?" Pansy asked though the way she said it made it more like an order.

I turned to see the compartment with just Lenora and then looked back to Pansy and shook my head, feigning politeness. "I think I already have a place to sit. Thank you though."

Pansy took a couple steps closer and shot me a sharp look. "I would have thought you might have come to your senses by now, Melanie." Her eyes made a brief notion to Lenora. "I warned you, she is nothing but trouble."

"Well, maybe I don't mind a little trouble," I shot back, my eyes taking her head on.

Pansy raised her eyebrow and folded her arms. "Doesn't it bother you that she is probably not pureblood?"

Considering I am muggle born, no, I thought but instead said, "You don't even have any proof on that."

Apparently unable to retort to that, Pansy just shrugged and said, "Fine, but you better not cost Slytherin too many points this year. Last year if we had a stronger lead then Gryffindors' last minute points would not have beaten us."

"In that case, Dumbledore would have just awarded Potter and his friends more points so they could win." As she just starred at me, I added, "You know I am right."

"Whatever," she muttered as she went to rejoin her friends. Before she entered her compartment, Pansy turned her head and added, "Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but Draco already said he and his friends would sit with us on the train."

I just shrugged, pretending not to care even though I could feel my veins begin to burn at the thought of Draco and Pansy together. Instead, I stormed off into Lenora's compartment and sunk down on the seat across from her and huffed.

"Pansy?" Lenora asked giving me a sympathetic look.

"Yes," I grumbled, sinking down in my seat with my arms crossed. "I am just sick of her acting like she is so much better than everybody else because she is pureblood."

Lenora just raised her brow. "Um, newsflash, Melanie… so does everyone else in our house."

"You don't act like that," I muttered, as I lifted my head slightly up to look in her eyes. "I mean, say I was not pureblood, perhaps muggle born even, would you still be friends with me?"

Lenora gave me an odd look, but then shrugged. "Maybe, but one thing I know for certain, your other best friend would not. He's even worse than Pansy."

I let out another huff, blowing a strand of my curly brown hair away from my face. "Yeah, I suppose Draco and Pansy will make the perfect couple one day. He already promised her he would sit with her on the train."

"Well, I already told you that you could do better than him anyway," Lenora sighed, then turned her head to the door. "Anyway, it looks like Draco and his friends are heading towards our compartment."

Before I even had the chance to turn my own head, the door slid open and in came Draco, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Draco sat down next to me, while his buddies parked themselves across from him, next to Lenora.

I turned to face Draco as he sat down. "I thought you promised Pansy you would sit with her?"

"I never said that," Draco spoke aloofly. "I just told her maybe."

Lenora and I exchanged glances. I could easily tell we were both thinking the same thing. Pansy is so full of herself. I also could not help but let out a small grin.

After Draco got himself comfortable he looked at me curiously and asked, "Say Melanie, have you, by any chance, heard of the Heir of Slytherin?"

I shook my head, hoping it would not make me appear too ignorant of the magical world. "Is that someone famous here?"

Draco snorted. "That person should be, but no one knows who it is or if Slytherin's family line is even still around."

"His line probably died out by now," Lenora commented. "I heard that family went through extreme measures to keep their line pureblood."

Draco was quiet for a moment, looking as though he was unsure of whether or not to ask this next question. "Melanie, do you know much about your ancestry? I know the Chamberson line is mostly pureblood."

I spoke with caution. "I don't think it goes back to Slytherin if that is what you are asking."

"Why do you think its her?" Lenora asked. "There are plenty of pureblood witches and wizards in our house that could be the heir."

"Its just that from what my parents told me, Salazar Slytherin had the ability to talk to snakes so maybe…" his voice trailed off.

Lenora looked at me and shrugged. "He's got a point there. You are the only one we know who can talk to snakes."

I looked back and forth between the two of them. "I am sure there are other family lines with this ability. Besides, I am positive my aunt and uncle would have mentioned if we were related to one of the founders of Hogwarts." I then turned my eyes to Draco. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I overheard some of what my dad was talking about with the guy from Borgin and Burkes. When I asked Dad about it later, he refused to give me that much detail." He paused and rolled his eyes. "But he did say, that there is a chamber built by Salazar Slytherin himself. In that chamber lies a monster, that only the true heir of Slytherin can control."

"Why did he put a monster in the school?" I asked, trying to control my nerves.

"To get rid of the school's biggest problem," Draco spoke darkly, "mudbloods."

My heart jumped as I drew in a sharp breath. "You mean just for scare, right? That monster never actually killed anyone?"

"According to my dad, last time the chamber was opened, someone died, a mudblood that is," Draco answered in a casual tone. "Its too bad we don't know who can open it again."

"Yeah, too bad," I muttered in a daze.

For the rest of the ride, thoughts over this mysterious chamber consumed my mind, making me much less talkative. Fortunately no one seemed to notice. I wonder how the monster or the heir would even know who really is muggle born and who is not. Is it even possible that the heir is still around and would return? I just hope for my own sake, the Heir of Slytherin is long gone.